Gonzalez, 61, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and mail fraud charges during a hearing in Manhattan Federal Court. The veteran Democrat, who represented the Bronx's 33rd District for 20 years, faces up to nine years in prison.

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Gonzalez admitted he used cash sent to the West Bronx Neighborhood Assocation and the United Latin American Foundation to pay off his credit card bills. The checks were written by Gonzalez's gal pal and co-conspirator Lucia (Lucy) Sanchez, prosecutors say.

Behind him, two sons and a daughter looked on from a courthouse bench as the Bronx security guard-turned-pol repeated "guilty" to each of four mail fraud-related counts.

Gonzalez declined to comment as he left the courthouse surrounded by his children. He is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 7.

"I don't think the senator started out intending to do something wrong," said his attorney, Murray Richman. "It's like anything else. He just drifted."

Prosecutors reduced by half the $400,000 they originally claimed Gonzalez had stolen.

They say Gonzalez spent $50,000 on rent for a luxury apartment in the Dominican Republic for his wife and $9,000 to pay for "Assembly" and "Speaker" cigar labels.

Gonzalez steered some $200,000 in so-called member items to Pathways for Youth, a Bronx-based group that provides kids with after-school care, prosecutors say. He then forced Pathways to funnel cash to West Bronx. Sanchez, 52, is expected to go to trial on Monday.